Multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device and method for its manufacture

• US 6,795,457 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Song, Young-jin, Choi, Byoung-lyong, You, Jae-ho, Nam, Seung-ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rodriguez, Armando
• Application Number:
  US09/867,709
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• Field of Search: 372/23, 372/43, 372/50, 372/68, 372/46, 372/96, 372/45, 372/20, 372/97
• US Class Current: 372/23
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18311 using selective oxidation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/18361 Structure of the reflectors, e.g. hybrid mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4087 emitting more than one wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/423 having a vertical cavity

Abstract

A multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device equipped with a substrate and a plurality of surface-emitting lasers formed on the substrate by a continuous manufacturing process is provided. Each surface-emitting laser includes a bottom reflection layer on the substrate, that is doped with impurities of one type and composed of alternating semiconductor material layers having different refractive indexes; an active layer that is formed on the bottom reflection layer; an intermediate layer that is doped with impurities of the other type on the active layer; a top electrode that is formed on the intermediate layer to have a window through which light is emitted; and a dielectric reflection layer where dielectric materials with different refractive indexes are alternately layered on the intermediate layer and/or the top electrode to a thickness suitable for a desired resonance wavelength, and the resonance wavelength is controlled by adjusting the thickness of the dielectric reflection layer.

Claims

1. A multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of surface-emitting lasers that are formed on the substrate by a continuous manufacturing process,

wherein each of said plurality of surface-emitting lasers comprises;

a bottom reflection layer on the substrate, that is doped with impurities of a first type and that is composed of alternating semiconductor material layers having different refractive indexes;

an active layer on the bottom reflection layer;

an intermediate layer that is doped with impurities of a second type on the active layer;

a top electrode on the intermediate layer, said top electrode having a window through which light is emitted; and

a dielectric reflection layer where dielectric materials with different refractive indexes are alternately layered on the intermediate layer and the top electrode to be dielectric layers of a thickness suitable for a resonance wavelength, and the resonance wavelength is controlled by adjusting the thickness of the dielectric layers of the dielectric reflection layer.

2. The multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser of claim 1, wherein the dielectric reflection layer is composed of two different dielectric materials with different refractive indexes.

3. The multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser of claim 2, wherein the dielectric reflection layer is composed of any two dielectric materials selected from the group consisting of TiO₂, Ta₂O₅, ZrO₂, HfO, SiO₂ and MgF₂.

4. The multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser of claim 1, wherein the dielectric reflection layer is composed of any two dielectric materials selected from the group consisting of TiO₂, Ta₂O₅, ZrO₂, HfO, SiO₂ and MgF₂.

5. The multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device of claim 1 further comprising a high resistance part that confines electric current between the active layer and the top electrode.

6. A method of manufacturing a multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device comprising the steps of

sequentially forming, on a prepared substrate, a bottom reflection layer, that is doped with impurities of a first type and composed of alternating semiconductor material layers having different refractive indexes, an active layer and an intermediate layer that is doped with impurities of a second type;

forming an arrangement of a plurality of surface-emitting lasers by removing, from a region separating the surface emitting lasers, the intermediate layer, the active layer and a part of the bottom reflection layer by etching;

forming on the intermediate layer of each surface-emitting laser a top electrode having a window through which light is emitted; and

forming on at least one of the intermediate layer and the top electrode of each surface-emitting laser, a dielectric reflection layer where different dielectric materials are alternately layered to be dielectric layers of a thickness suitable for a resonance wavelength, and the resonance wavelength is controlled by adjusting the thickness of the dielectric layers of the dielectric reflection layer.

7. The method for manufacturing a multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device of claim 6, wherein the dielectric reflection layer is composed of two different dielectric materials with different refractive indexes.

8. The method for manufacturing a multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device of claim 7, wherein the dielectric reflection layer is composed of any two dielectric materials selected from the group consisting of TiO₂, Ta₂O₅, ZrO₂, HfO, SiO₂ and MgF₂.

9. The method for manufacturing the multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device of claim 7, wherein the dielectric reflection layer is formed by using an optical deposition unit.

10. The method for manufacturing the multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser of claim 6, wherein the dielectric reflection layer is composed of any two dielectric materials selected from the group consisting of TiO₂, Ta₂O₅, ZrO₂, HfO, SiO₂ and MgF₂.

11. The method for manufacturing the multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device of claim 6, wherein the dielectric reflection layer is formed by using an optical deposition system.

12. The method for manufacturing the multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser of claim 6 further comprising a step of forming a high resistance part that confines electric current between the active layer and the top electrode.

13. A multiple wavelength surface-emitting laser device comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of surface-emitting lasers formed on the substrate by a continuous manufacturing process,

wherein each of said plurality of surface-emitting lasers comprises;

a bottom reflection layer on the substrate, that is doped with impurities of a first type and that is composed of alternating semiconductor material layers having different refractive indexes;

an active layer on the bottom reflection layer;

an intermediate layer that is doped with impurities of a second type on the active layer;

a top electrode on the intermediate layer, said top electrode having a window through which light is emitted; and

a dielectric reflection layer comprising dielectric layers composed of dielectric materials with different refractive indexes alternately layered on the intermediate layer and the top electrode so that a thickness of the dielectric layers is optimized for a resonance wavelength, and the resonance wavelength is controlled by adjusting the thickness of the dielectric layers of the dielectric reflection layer.